Just What is "The People's Bussiness"?

I just caught up on a few days of Bernie O’Hare’s Lehigh Valley Ramblings blog, and what I read gave me the motivation to type this post.

Bernie’s post titled Norco Council Does Its Best to Discourage Citizen Volunteers was all about an issue we are in the midst of here at the city level. Apparently, there was some debate surrounding the approval of people for County authorities, boards, and commissions (ABCs). According to Bernie’s report, two Councilpersons (Charles Dertinger and Diane Neiper) expressed concerns over having to confirm candidates in the manner that they were asked. At the County Council, members are given resumes and the candidates seeking approval are present on induction night.

NOTE: Bernie also mentioned the Council's poor treatment of the appointees. He pointed out that the appointees remained standing as the Council members debated their issues with no apparent regard to the appointees presence or condition. I agree whole-heartedly with Bernie's assessment that poor treatment like that is very discouraging to anyone seeking to voluteer their civic services. (added 02/26/08)

Interestingly, Bernie and I (both huge proponents of open government) do not seem to agree on the level of vetting necessary for (re)appointments to ABCs. O’Hare takes the stand that, “It’s hard enough to get volunteers” and that the posts are “thankless”. Those reasons just happen to be the exact rebuttals we (Bad Apple and me) get any time we advocate for in-person interviews and confirmations of ABC candidates. Last week Councilwoman Elinor Warner was quoted in the Express-Times saying that she does not want to see the process become a “Supreme Court confirmation”.

I disagree with all of those statements. Saying that it is difficult to find candidates for ABCs should not be allowed to end the argument. That rhetoric should not reduce us to the lowest common denominator—accepting whatever names are presented by the administration. First, the solution does not accurately address the problem; it by-passes the problem. A true solution would be geared towards increasing the willingness to participate and increasing the candidate pool. It stands to reason that if we are not getting competition for positions, then we may not be getting the best potential. We need to explore some different approaches to fix this inequity. It is our position that the number one reason for the City’s low level of interest is communication. The methods used to recruit people for ABC positions are underwhelming and lack imagination. We DO NOT and HAVE NOT issued press releases; We DO NOT and HAVE NOT posted vacancies on the web; We DO NOT and HAVE NOT listed vacancies in the Bugler; and most importantly we DO NOT and HAVE NOT publicized what our ABCs do or need.

Labeling civic service (not to be confused with hired civil service) as “thankless” is, in itself, discouraging; and communicates a message that is in direct opposition with the promotion of ABC service.

At best, the reasons are crutches. At the very worst, the reasons serve as gatekeepers; the basis to maintain certain levels of status quo. We have seen over and over again the damage that a King’s reign over appointments can result in. Last year former Senator John Edwards said he wanted to propose what he called "Brownie's Law" requiring that “qualified people, not political hacks, lead key federal agencies” (http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN2721144820070828). We can look a lot closer than New Orleans for examples of appointment discretion gone astray due to the lack of controls that protect the people (“the people being the citizenry not the appointees). Recently we’ve been in the midst of issues with the Easton Housing Authority (junket abuse, HOPE VI housing ratios, and attendance) and the Easton Parking Authority (Riverwalk debt) that center on the qualifications, conduct, and judgment of members. The Mayor himself sites the Zoning Board’s tendency to make decisions that are not in-line with the City’s strategic plans when he discusses the need for ABC improvements.

In October 2007, Mayoral Candidate Panto was asked, “how can we better ensure that the nominated appointees [to ABCs] are qualified and representative of the needs of taxpaying residents?” He answered, “…we will advertise openings by all means possible to recruit as many applicants as possible. We will interview each candidate to review their commitment to the position and the skill set they bring to the appointment. When a decision is made the individual’s name will be submitted to City Council for their approval.”

Then Council Candidate El Warner’s answer to the very same question sums up our viewpoint well. She answered, “…council needs to ensure that openings on the ABCs are somehow advertised – on the city website, in the Bugler, etc. – so that all interested residents have a chance to come forward. Rather than just passing a name onto council for approval, the mayor should be asked to also pass along a list of qualifications, and a letter of interest from the candidate. If necessary, council should also meet with the candidate for a discussion. Strengthening this process should not “scare” away interested citizens, but instead help strengthen the membership of these ABCs.”

And as a Council Candidate Roger Ruggles also states in his response that, “council needs to interview each candidate and identify their expectation of the individual being nominated for that position.” (http://eastonundressed.blogspot.com/2007/10/candidate-question-8-authorities-boards.html)

The first part of that question addresses the importance of the twenty plus ABCs, and it points out the fact that they are “sanctioned city government subdivisions”. The million dollar Parking Authority tab, the two HOPE VI denials (with board conduct sited in the denial correspondence), and the large number of converted single-family homes are definitive proof of how important ABC positions are. We can ill afford to further offend every other Eastonian by trying to avoid offending a person asking to be responsible for our City’s well being. We have the right assess anyone who believes that they are deserving of such public trust.

How can we be assured that every citizen is given proper consideration if we are only presented with the successful applicants? There needs to be a method in place that shows the public exactly how many interested parties apply and proves that each applicant is given the same due diligence. The process of voting for the names presented at Council actually brings appointees closer to being like members of the Supreme Court, because the practice makes it easy for people to be reapproved (with the tiniest of scrutiny) for life.

Some people have expressed concerns over how “open” municipal government should truly be. There are concerns that “opening” means taking control away from the elected officials. It doesn’t. Informing the people and allowing the people comment does not take away the electorate’s responsibility to decide. The politicians will still have to decide; responsibly or otherwise.

Thanks for the text box Bernie!!!

City Council Meeting Audio 1/09/08

This was a relatively short, but very telling meeting. We were shown who was really in control. And we were shown our places.

The first bit of tension to be to be touched upon was the legal question surrounding Mrs Panto's appointment/reappointment to the Charter-made Council seat. We were taken all the way to the end of the table for the ruling. Now keep in mind that the appearance of familiarity; the appearance of a conflict; or the appearance of collusion are not against the rules or the law-- so they may not (of course) be key considerations as we make decisions. And they weren't... Furthermore, any talk of such nonsense will be duly ignored. Mrs Panto's appointment was cleared by the Assistant Solicitor (you see for this ruling the "Solicitor" was too close to the Mayor).

I feel so stupid.

Later in the meeting Roger Ruggles was appointed to Councilman Dan Corpora's vacated seat. There was angst and controversy surrounding the procedure used there to. Mind you, all of the protest, angst, and controversy was sponsored by the same group of advocates/trouble makers (depends on your vantage point).

Now, we could have appointed both Mrs Panto and Mr Ruggles with the very minimum discomfort with just the tiniest bit of thought.

First; the procedures and steps to fill the vacancies should have been posted and made available for everyone's review shortly after the elections.

Second; the charter transition committee should have been convened to go over the FIFTY ONE PAGES of the charter, and address the transition issues like 2.05 (c).

Third; Roger Ruggles should have been voted into the Charter-made position.

Fourth; Pam Panto should have been voted through the vacancy Dan Corpora created.

Yes, there would have still been grumbling over Mr and Mrs Panto serving together, but there would be far fewer elephants in the room.

City Grade for the period of 01/02/08 through 01/09/08

Audio (1 hour 27 minutes 10Mb)

Agenda

Minutes

City Council Farewell and Reorganization Meetings

Out with the old, in with the old and new...

Last night City council held two meetings. The beginning of the session was the farewell meeting of the City's Third Class City Code Council. The ending was the reorganization meeting for the City's first Home Rule Charter Council.

The evening was mostly ceremonial. The only uncomfortable moments swirled around the appointment of Pam Panto to the newly-made (Home Rule Charter) Council seat.

Now, let me just interject some for-the-record editorial...

For me, the issue has never been Pam Panto serving on Council. The issue is Pam Panto being APPOINTED to City Council WHILE her husband is in-charge of it. As I said to Mrs Panto on election night, it would be different and less controversial if she ran in two years.

Appointments to political positions are arguably the most abused of all political processes. We see it time and time again. Just this last cycle we saw it in D.C. (remember the fine job Brownie did in Louisiana?) and we got a good slaterin' of it at County Council with the appointments of McClure and Branco (the party politics choke hold).

It would have been a hugely symbolic gesture if we could have avoided the appointment of Pam Panto as an issue. It would have made it obvious to any doubters that power was not an issue. As I said to WFMZ, "I know and trust the Pantos and so do hundreds of others, BUT there are a lot more people that have no idea what they are like personally." So for the Pantos to say things like "we're individuals and we think for ourselves" works fine for me, but what about everyone else?

If someone like John Stoffa (whom I do not know personally) told me to trust him enough to appoint his wife (whom I also do not know) to County Council, should I just turn off my scrutinizer and say OK because of his words?

Bottom line. Liking someone is not enough for me to allow them to do something that I would not allow someone I did not know, like, or trust to do.

I accepted the fact that Pam Panto was going to get appointed. And I am fine with it, because I like her and respect her a lot. Is that enough?

What I did not like was the way that Council handled the voting. Nominating one candidate from a field of five (when you have to favor two anyway) injures the democratic notion of one-man one-vote. It creates one-candidate no-vote. The Charter Commission had the foresight to protect Council members' votes from losing significance by instituting the rolling roll-call (the voting order rotates through the members). And, one more thing, when a vote is of that magnitude it would serve us all a lot better if everyone made a statement with their vote. Last night's voting was very discouraging. It was uncomfortable when only one person was nominated the first time, but it was insulting when Jeff Warren nominated Ken Brown. Hmm, the new guy appoints the Vice Mayor. That was a demonstration of power that I hope to never witness in city Hall again.

OK, I wish only the best to our new Council and the Mayor. Mayor Panto's vision for the city is shared by us here at EU.

One more, one more thing... I am officially never giving anymore TV interviews. two minutes of talking about the Charter gets me 10 seconds of somewhat out of context airtime. And as most of you know I can hardly afford the 10lbs that TV adds.

Farewell Session Audio(30 minutes 30 seconds 2.49Mb)

Reorganization session Audio(52 minutes 12 seconds 5.97Mb)

25 Minutes with Mayor Elect Panto

Sal Panto gave us first shot at a sit down interview. Our interviewer and the Mayor-elect cover 20 questions about things to come.

Congratulations Mr Mayor! We look forward to working with you to create a cleaner and safer Easton.

Interview (25 minutes 38 seconds 2.91Mb)

Your neighbor

Candidate Question #10 Codes

Question#10: Codes

The quality of neighborhood living has been negatively affected by the persistent, and often ignored, decay of properties. Detail a plan using current code regulations to immediately improve the appearance of under maintained properties?

Strong Neighborhoods Make Strong Cities. Our city is a city of neighborhoods; they are the lifeblood of our city. The strength of those individual neighborhoods creates the vitality of our city. Each neighborhood has its unique characteristics and needs. I know all of our neighborhoods and will assist neighbors in identifying their needs and resources and in mobilizing programs to meet those needs. We will rebuild our city from the neighborhoods up ensuring that the residents play a vital role in the rejuvenation that is so sorely needed in many areas.

To strengthen our neighborhoods we will:

§ Establish the “Clean It and Lien It” program. We will secure vacant structures, cut weeds and grass to reduce rodents and unsightliness and secure the building envelope to prevent further decay. Once the property has been secured we will execute on the lien and either get paid or we will take possession of the structure, sell it to a proven developer who will then sell it as a restored single-family residence.

§ Initiate the “Curb Appeal Task Force” as a part of the Code Department. We will equip the code department with hand held computers loaded with exterior code violations. As they walk down a street they will input, simply by using a stylus, to check off violations such as peeling paint, broken windows, trash, etc. This will eliminate blight and will protect these vacant structures from becoming the problems of the future.

§ Property owners that do not make necessary repairs must be dealt with swiftly but fairly and in a uniformed manner. We will declare war on blighted properties.

§ Initiate discussions with local bankers to create a revolving loan fund to assist low and moderate-income families, especially seniors, in making necessary improvements to their home.

§ Create a “Neighborhood Network” homepage on the city website where residents easily identify what is happening in their neighborhood and how they can be involved in its progress.

§ Encourage more involvement and leadership in the neighborhoods and work with those leaders in creating a comprehensive vision for the city.Actively communicate and meet with neighborhoods on a regular basis holding at least one “town meeting” per quarter in one of the neighborhoods.

The city needs to develop a database of buildings that are determined to be under maintained. This can be accomplished by city officials walking throughout the city and documenting structures that do not meet Article 1193 – Existing Structure Code. This data can be stored on a data collector in the field and then downloaded to a computer system back at city hall. If a structure is identified as violating the Existing Structure Code then a meeting with the structure’s owner needs to be scheduled and a plan developed to bring the structure into compliance. The city should monitor the progress of the plan and if no work is accomplished then the enforcement procedures of the ordinance should be implemented. This plan does take a significant amount of code enforcement officer time but I believe that it will provide for greater citizen cooperation in getting the structure up to code.

An audit of the labor pool and how it is being used will be first on the agenda. The other thing that we need to do during this time is to have all offending property owners sent certified letters stating that they have 30 days to comply with repairs in order to bring their properties up to code. If they do not comply, the city will perform these repairs and either bills the owners, or they will forfeit their properties. Once we know how and where the labor is being used, and where we have extra manpower, then we can proceed with phase two.

Phase two will consist of getting extra manpower from the labor pool to start performing the repairs on the properties that are not following the order. If the properties are vacant, then once the work is started, the property owner will be billed for all manual labor, and administrative labor involved with each property, at the maximum rates allowed by law. These rates are usually called prevailing wage rates. Figure about $100 an hour for general laborers. Once repairs have been completed, the property owner will have 30 days to make restitution, or the city follows through with either a Sheriff's sale, or property seizure, due to foreclosure, or whatever other legal means we have at our dispossal. Average turnaround time for the city to foreclose will be less than 1 year. Considering it has taken the city over 20 years to buy or seize other properties that have been blighted, that is a massive improvement.

Phase three will consist of initially offering to the local neighborhood residents the property at cost. Secondly, offering it to city employees that don't live in the city at cost, so long as they move in and claim it as their primary residence. Thirdly, offering it up for sale at fair market value to the general public. If it goes to the general public, the city makes the highest profit, and brings more money into the coffers, and actually has city employees from the labor pool making money for the city, instead of just being an expense. If it goes to a city employee, or a resident of the neighborhood, then it will still bring a profit, because at the prevailing rate, the city will still be making a profit off of the labor.

This plan may not be 100% perfect, but it is certainly better that what we currently have. The Citizens Oversight Committee will be the most ideal in this aspect, because current employees that are doing the bare minimum for their jobs will step up their work, and stop whining about being overworked, when they know for themselves that they are performing a substandard service.

This question really belongs to the mayoral candidates, who will oversee city hall and its employees. That being said, I do think that the code department needs to be separated from Planning and Economic Development and restructured so there’s more accountability, and so that codes are enforced uniformly. Vacant and decayed properties that can be seized under current law must be seized. I propose then offering those properties to police, fire, and city hall new hires at a discount, in exchange for those new hires agreeing to live in the city and improve the properties. Similar programs have had great effect elsewhere, would induce city employees to live in the city, and would help our neighborhoods.

Candidate Question #9 Enforcement

Question#9: Enforcement

It has become fairly common practice to resolve problems of the moment by creating new legislation. Easton has a comprehensive set of ordinances already on the books. How can we more effectively enforce the laws/rules that already exist?

Government is of laws, not of men. Enforcing the codes of the city must be done in a uniform, fair and consistent manner, regardless of individuals. The Codified Ordinances of the City of Easton contain all of the necessary codes to provide a safe and clean environment for all residents. We will increase the effectiveness of the code department by making the Code Administrator a Cabinet level position directly under the Mayor, using technology for increased efficiency and providing enhanced training for the staff.

Audit the city. Let's give ourselves an audit from stem to stern, from tip to tail, and from head to toe. I propose to remove legislation that is outdated and antiquated. I also propose to follow up on all of the 90 day resolutions that have not been rescinded when they got out of date.

We need new laws, but we need laws with teeth and laws that don't insult the public's intelligence. We need to remove laws that are unenforceable. We need to make sure that the codes department, the board of health, the fire department, and the police department have a working knowledge of the city codes and ordinances. I'm not saying they have to be experts, but experts in their fields, and at the very least a working knowledge of all of the other areas. These departments are our eyes and ears, and need to use a significant amount of common sense when outside to enforce what is enforceable.

Let's make the laws that stick, the laws that will bring in money, and the laws that will protect our citizens.

Some of this would seem to be a matter of cleaning up existing ordinances so that they are enforceable. For example, we currently have an anti-loitering ordinance on the books, but it is my understanding that, as written, the police can’t enforce it. There’s an easy remedy: rewrite the ordinance. More care needs to be taken in writing new ordinances so that they are immediately enforceable and don’t need revision months, and then years, later. Council writes the legislation, the administration must enforce it. Council needs to work more closely with the administration to make sure that laws are enforceable as written, and that ordinances are being enforced down the road.

The answer to this problem would require nearly a book to begin to scratch the surface. More enforcement officers, increased technology, fewer rules, and better education of the public are just a few of the things that can be done to more effectively enforce or trim our excessive number ordinances. We need to also assess what we do to enforce the ordinances. If the punishment for breaking an ordinance is too light then individuals will continue to break the ordinance requiring greater effort in enforcement. If the penalty is too severe we are placing too great a burden on the citizen.

Candidate Question #8 Authorities, Boards, and Commissions

Question#8: Authorities, Boards, and Commissions

The city’s 20 (or so) authorities, boards, and commissions significantly impact the progress and the quality of every facet of life in Easton. Because the authorities, boards, and commissions are sanctioned city government subdivisions, how can we better ensure that the nominated appointees are qualified and representative of the needs of taxpaying residents?

Authorities, Boards and Commissions are an important element of local government. This level allows multitudes of people to become involved in their city, making decisions that affect the future of our city. First and foremost, we will advertise openings by all means possible to recruit as many applicants as possible. We will interview each candidate to review their commitment to the position and the skill set they bring to the appointment. When a decision is made the individual’s name will be submitted to City Council for their approval. We will meet semi-annually, in public, with the members of the ABC’s to review and update the city’s strategic plan and how well we are achieving the goals and objectives.

It is council’s job to vet mayoral candidates for the ABCs. First, council needs to ensure that openings on the ABCs are somehow advertised – on the city website, in the Bugler, etc. – so that all interested residents have a chance to come forward. Rather than just passing a name onto council for approval, the mayor should be asked to also pass along a list of qualifications, and a letter of interest from the candidate. If necessary, council should also meet with the candidate for a discussion. Strengthening this process should not “scare” away interested citizens, but instead help strengthen the membership of these ABCs.

Nominated appointees are typically confirmed by council. I believe that council needs to interview each candidate and identify their expectation of the individual being nominated for that position. Each authority, board, and commission should be assigned to a council member and that council member should monitor the appointee to determine if she/he is meeting the expectations. If they are not a mechanism should be established to allow council to remove an individual from that position.

I just answered that in my previous statement. Citizens Oversight Committee will have the power to remove from office, employees who are doing substandard work. Every department needs to have an annual independent audit. If there is no improvement from one year to the next, without any major problem being the cause, that department needs to be cleaned out and replaced with employees who have not gotten complacent in their jobs.

An idea that I am very fond of and highly in favor of, will be for an annual reapplication of all city employees. It has worked in major corporations, and it will work for city governments too. If we keep applications on file of qualified individuals for at least 1 year at a time, we will be able to replace substandard workers with little effort. The reapplication process is fairly easy and straightforward. Every year each employee must submit a resume for review, to include what accomplishments they have made in the previous year, if they have not grown in their present position, then they will be brought up for review, and other prospective candidates will be interviewed at that time for that job. If another candidate has better qualifications we release the former employee, and hire a new employee. It not only keeps salaries down, but it also better qualifies us as a city of professionals. I am sure that no resident has a problem paying a higher salary for a more qualified individual, if that individual is willing to continue their education and training.

Candidate Question #7 Infrastructure

Question#7: Infrastructure

Failure to reinvest in the maintenance and upgrade of the city water plant was a key factor in the decision to relinquish responsibility and oversight of a significant municipal asset. How can we prevent losses of this magnitude in the future?

I disagree with the basic premise of this question concerning the Water purification plant because the plant is still an asset of the city, still wholly-owned by the City, leased to an Authority of the City, with all members appointed by the Mayor of the City. An asset is something of value that gives the owner a return on the asset. The leasing of the plant is using an asset to get a return; in this case outright lease payments equal to or higher than the amount earned when it was operated by the City and at least $1 million per year during the term of the lease in infrastructure improvements to our water distribution system.

However, I do agree that we cannot allow our assets to deteriorate to the extent of the water plant. There was no capital replacement program in this important asset and much needed service and upgrades needed were delayed for lack of proper capital budgeting. We need to be more proactive in our capital budget planning. Coupled with our multiple-year general fund budget, our 5-year capital replacement budget program will protect our assets for future generations of Eastonians to enjoy.

Additionally, time must be set aside to give employees an opportunity to perform preventative maintenance on equipment, vehicles, buildings, furniture and all other assets of the city.

The failure to reinvest in the maintenance of the city water plant was a key factor, but a factor that was just as key (if not more) was the financial situation of the city where we were not able to borrow the money needed to upgrade the plant. Both of these are significant problems. Our first priority should be to move the city to a very stable financial position. Once we reach this position our bond rating improves and we have the capability to finance the 20+ million dollar renovation to the water plant.

In assessing the city’s assets we can identify our infrastructure and the maintenance required to maintain each asset. The waste water treatment plant is currently in excellent condition and the capacity of the plant is estimated to be sufficient for the next 10 – 15 years. We need to start developing plans now on how that upgrade might occur. Our parks system is extensive and in many cases the parks have fallen into disrepair and in many cases are unsafe for children to play. Our sewage collection system is very old is most likely providing inflow and infiltration into our sanitary collection system increasing flow to the waste water treatment plant. Our road network is being over burdened by increasing traffic. These and other components of the infrastructure of very old cities (like Easton) will be in constant need of repair and replacement. We need to develop a line item in the budget for these repairs and/or replacement of the infrastructure of the city and in addition develop a better management system to manage the entire infrastructure system. This is best accomplished using a geographical information system or GIS. A well developed GIS has been repeatedly shown to increase efficiency of infrastructure management resulting in overall savings. I have significant experience in the development of GIS for local municipalities and have been working with the city to develop a system. Through conducting an inventory of the infrastructure assets, developing plans to provide ongoing maintenance (with budgeted line items) and enhanced management form GIS technology we will be better able to understand what we have, maintain it and manage it.

The simple answer is to stop wasting money on nonsensical projects, and work our wallets closer to our vision. I wish the answer was that easy.

The reality of the situation is that we need not just financial audits of the city, but also performance and structural audits as well. We need to know well in advance, when we are going to need a new fire truck, or street sweeper. We need to know 5 years ahead of time, if it will be cheaper to rent a building for city hall, or to purchase one and maintain it ourselves. We need to remove supervisors who cannot properly run a department, and replace them with qualified individuals that aren't getting these jobs because they're not friends of whatever politician is in office.

The biggest and best thing that can be done is to implement a Citizens Oversight Committee. They will have the power to remove people that are inept or just plain lazy, and to keep this city moving ahead.

The city’s finances need to be put in order so that, should we need a bond issue, our bonds could be rated well enough for such an issue to take place. Improving the tax base by improving property values in undervalued neighborhoods, collecting past due revenue, and cutting consultants out of the budget would all help, but it’s important to note that remedying the projected deficits of the next five to 10 years can’t happen overnight. We need to begin planning now.

Candidate Question #6 Budget

Question#2: Budget

For years the city’s annual budget was planned and discussed over a few weeks. Devise a 12 month budget development program.

Spending the last sixteen years in senior executive management positions with multi-million dollar budgets I will bring a new perspective to city finances and find ways to reduce the cost of providing services through increased efficiency and innovation. We will shape an Administration that works harder and smarter on behalf of its residents.

To improve fiscal management of the city we will:

§ Develop a multiple year budget for better financial planning and to avoid last minute decisions that react to a financial crisis rather than using solid financial planning to avoid the “December crisis” in our city.

§ Work with the City Treasurer to consolidate all finances under one individual for more effective cost tracking, revenue forecasting and avoid duplication of effort.

§ We will hold finance meetings each month and invite financial leaders and residents to attend and participate.

§ Create an efficiency task force made up of residents, business leaders and city
employees to analyze city services and assist the city in finding new, more-efficient ways of providing services. The task force will conduct a fact-based approach to identifying best practices used in other cities and how they can be incorporated into our city.

§ We will provide incentives to departments that find new ways to cut costs and improve efficiency. Our financial problems can not be addressed from the pockets
of our resident, we must find ways to decrease the size of government and increase the efficiency of services.

§ Decrease the physical size of city hall by at least one floor creating better
communication among staff, easier access for residents and more income for the
city with the additional rental space to the private sector.

§ Better utilization of existing software, or new software, to make sure that all
departments are interfacing to increase the collection percentage of money owed
to the city and to capture money that may be outstanding in other departments.

§ More emphasis on obtaining federal and state grants to fund city projects, training and equipment. We will utilize an experienced grant writer to train city
department heads on researching, writing and obtaining grants.

I can't believe that in all the years the city has been run, nobody has come up with a simple idea such as this, but here goes. Make quarterly meetings mandatory. The quarterly meetings will need to be like this; By the end of December, the treasurer and controller will have met with ALL department heads simultaneously, to have their departments current books in order, and find what is lacking or exceeding, and where. By the end of January, the treasurer and controller will meet with city council and have both basic and detailed breakdowns of each department, and proposed expenses for the following quarter, and an update on where they are within their budgets.

The mayor will be involved with the earlier meetings, and have proposed budgets at the same time as the treasurer and controllers reports. In a meeting or two, taking slightly more time than usual, we should be able to approve a budget for the following year, because we should already be working off of a budget approved at least one year prior to this year.

The basic breakdown will be for the layperson's benefit. The detailed version will be for anyone that wants to do a detailed review of any particular department.

First, I think the city’s fiscal year should be changed to July 1 to June 30, to be in line with state and federal government. In order to effectively budget for 12 months, you really need to have a two-year plan, with a line budget for the first year, and projections for the second. You also need to have a five-year capital plan. Budgeting with both the short and long term in mind will make the annual budget easier and (more importantly) more accurate, and would help to avoid a last-minute scramble each December.

First, I believe that the budgeting process should be over a two year period. This provides for better planning within departments. The Treasurer and/or Director of Finance should develop projections for revenues during that two year time period. The impact of these revenues can then be discussed with all interested parties. As an example in this last budget the increase of parking meter rates was a revenue stream that had limited review by individuals impacted by this increase. As a result the impression that the city is just trying to get money in any way it can was reinforced, several people were upset, and the parking meter rates stayed the same. Discussion of proposed revenue increases or decreases should be presented with time to determine the full impact of the move and to provide the opportunity for input from all those affected by the move.

In the budget process an initial budget for the following year and an overall departmental and individual revenue budget for the second year should be developed within the first 3 months of the new year. This budget would then be published and public comment in the form of hearings would be heard over the next 3 months. The council, mayor’s office and the Treasurer/Director of Finance would develop a revised budget based on public input and updated projections of revenues and expenses for the current year. This process would occur over the next 3 months. A revised budget would then be available near the beginning of September at which time another round of public hearings would take place. This round would be shorter than the first round because it can focus on the changes made to the initial budget. Following the public hearings the mayor, city council, and the Treasurer/Director of Finance would again meet and develop a final budget that would be adopted during the month of December.

Candidate Question #5 Open Government

Question #5 Open Government

Give us an example of something you will do to make Easton’s government more open, accessible, and/or accountable.

Effective communication is an essential ingredient for a better community. The city needs to develop new tools for improving two-way communication with the residents of the city. In addition, various city departments, commissions and boards need to have more meaningful dialogue so that a spirit of cooperation can emerge.

The plan to improve communication and provide for a more transparent local government, we will:

§ Maintain an “Open Door and an Open Mind” Policy that all Department Heads will also follow.

§ Use the city website more effectively to communicate with residents including regular email newsletters. Also, use the city website to announce various city events and economic development projects to keep residents informed. People need to be involved on the front end of all major developments.

§ Work with City Council to suggest a change in the format of the meetings to address city issues in a proactive way. For example, use the workshop session for discussion on a specific topic or issue and invite input. These would be scheduled in advance so residents and interested parties are aware of the opportunity to participate.

§ Host quarterly mayoral neighborhood meetings to meet with residents in a neighborhood setting to receive their input and concerns.

§ Schedule strategic planning workshops with the various Authorities, Boards and Commissions to discuss policies and a common vision and hold them accountable to the goals of the strategic plan.

§ Explore evening or Saturday morning hours for City Hall.We will establish neighborhood “Mayor Hours” at key locations throughout the city at flexible times for the residents.

First, I’d attempt to have either RCN or Service Electric (or both) broadcast council meetings and public hearings live, to make them more accessible to residents. I also think that, whether or not the charter passes, one council meeting each year should be held in each of the residential districts not only for better citizen access to meetings, but to bring elected officials to those neighborhoods. As a publisher, my phone and email has always been public and available; this won’t change. I think one of council’s biggest tasks is to balance power and hold the administration accountable, not only in terms of budget but also in terms of follow-though and mayoral appointments, but you cover these issues in later questions.

I have outlined several things in previous answers including:

1) making city hall more user friendly and opening city hall at least one night a week until 8:00 P.M.
2) development of goals and objectives that are published and reported on to the public annually.
3) promote greater citizen involvement in development and carrying out of policy by formation of citizen committees.

In addition, I personally will be available to the citizens of the city. My home phone number is listed in the phonebook, and I welcome calls form individuals. During my time in office I will spend on the average one evening a week walking through neighborhoods to allow people to voice their opinions in a one-on-one forum. I will encourage city council to hold public meetings in the various neighborhoods of the city in order to gain greater citizen participation.

My city hall voicemail will have my personal and business phone # on the message with a message stating that if you need to contact me, then call me there, because I will rarely check my voicemail at city hall. I will propose legislation that will require a voice response from any city office within 48 hours. Too many times people call in, and a week later call in, and a week later call in, and then hopefully get some sort of an answer to their questions. This is ridiculous. The city employees are employees of the citizens. The citizens are the bosses, and therefore need to be answered to in a timely manner and professional fashion.

I also want to make a Citizens Oversight Committee. This committee will not just review certain departments, but also have the power to fire personnel for poor or improper conduct. This will need to be set out in all of the collective bargaining agreements, but no city employee should be afraid, if they aren't doing anything wrong. It's the employees that are doing wrong things that will fight the hardest against this, and those employees are the ones that will need to be watched the closest.

Candidate Question #4 Strategic Planning

Question #4 Strategic Planning

In recent years we have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on consultants resulting in a sizable stack of reports and critiques, while not resulting in any type of strategic plan. Propose a method to develop a strategic plan in more economical, more comprehensive, less fractured, and less consultant dependent way.

Simply put, operating without a strategic master plan in turbulent times commits our city to reactive rather than proactive leadership. Our team has a strategic plan developed with the collaboration of residents, business leaders, civic, religious and community groups over the last six months. This plan will be a start for our administration. It will be a working document that all departments refer to on a daily basis. The plan is flexible to meet the changing needs of our community. We will discuss the plan at each and every quarterly Town Meeting with a written report on the status of each goal and initiative.

We do not need consultants during these difficult times. We need a solid plan based on public input identifying the basics that we need to concentrate on in the next four years. It is time to get our own house in order.

There will be times when a technical consultant may be needed for specific tasks relating to an issue that requires an expertise in certain areas for a specific task. However, it is my sincere belief that a Blue Ribbon Task Force comprised of local and area individuals with a vested interest in our community could have produced the $100,000 Early Intervention Plan that the city commissioned three years ago.

We will take a bottoms-up approach to local government. Local government cannot be a spectator sport; we need residents that have a vested interest in our future helping to shape that future. They are waiting for their invitation into their City Hall.

I would answer this question but if I did I would have to charge you a consultant fee for the advice that I would provide you. Just kidding!

I believe that the new Comprehensive Plan is one of the very first things that are required of the new administration and council. Without a plan we do not know our direction, goals, or objectives as a city. But since the plan is for the city it should be created by the residents of the city. In the same way that we have neighborhood economic development committees we need to assemble regional committees of the city to develop a comprehensive plan. I believe that the new comprehensive plan needs to be developed within 6 months of next year. Citizen input to this plan is critical to develop a consensus on the future direction of the city and to gain citizen cooperation to implement the plan. The plan needs to establish goals and objectives and also develop mechanisms that allow the city government to measure the success of each goal or objective. Reports of the success of the Comprehensive Plan should be made each year by the mayor. The plan should also be updated each year (this should be a minor update) and have a major update every five years.

The first and foremost idea we need to look at is this: We need to know that before we pay one dime for a consultant, for any project, that we have the funds to follow through with whatever they recommend. If we don't have the funds, then there is no need to hire a consultant, and waste even more money on something that will not be followed-up on. The second idea is to have a citizen's advisory committee come up with ideas. Once we have that committee's ideas, if we still feel the need to hire a consultant, then we put in the contract that the consultant must come up with at least 10 -15 ideas not proposed by the committee, and the consultant must also propose ways to get funding for these ideas from other sources, other than the city government. If they do not fulfill these requirements, then they don't get paid. The third idea is to look back at all of the formerly proposed ideas by other consultants in the past. Before we hire a new consultant to go over what a former consultant had said to us 5 -10 years ago, let's make sure that we have already attempted all of the former consultants’ ideas and options.

The WRT study funded over two years ago did provide a strategic plan. Now that plan needs to be followed. This comes under the province of the GEDP, and both council and the mayor need to make sure that the GEDP does its job. Beyond that, I look at the recent zoning rewrite, done by a committee of citizens along with city hall staff, as a model of how strategic planning can be done without simply hiring consultants.

Candidate Question#1: Human Resources & Management

Last week we sent out a 10 question questionnaire to the 2 Mayoral and 6 City Council candidates. Exactly half of the candidates took the opportunity to elaborate upon their platforms by answering the questions.

Each day (for the next 10) we will publish one question with all of the candidate responses. The respondents were Sal Panto, El Warner, Bill Timmann, and Roger Ruggles.

Question#1: Human Resources & Management

Are you satisfied with the way city hall functions? What issues need to be addressed to improve interaction between departments?

No, I am not satisfied with the way City Hall functions. City Hall has some very dedicated, talented, hard working employees but there are two areas that will be addressed, one on the first day of our Administration and one within the first year. The first is an increase in customer service including attitude, phone call protocol, voice mail etiquette, etc. The second is the fact that the physical facility hinders intra-department communication, cross-training and efficient use of office equipment. We will reduce the size of city hall by at least one floor in our first year to improve interaction between the departments and increase revenue to the city with the additional floor rental.

No, I am not satisfied with the way city hall functions and neither are most of the residents of the city. City hall is not a people friendly place. Most people when entering city hall find it confusing and not a welcoming atmosphere. In addition, the layout of offices in city hall is not conducive to critical communication between departments. I am in favor of consolidating city hall from 5 floors to 4 floors of the Alpha Building, organizing those floors to enhance productivity, and providing a reception area that directs individuals to the proper area for the service desired. This will improve the welcoming atmosphere of city hall, increase productivity, and also provide one additional floor that the city can lease for office space. I also believe that city hall needs to be open at least one night a week until 8:00 P.M. to better serve the residents of the City of Easton.

As stated earlier in this answer a rearrangement of the office space in the Alpha Building will be a significant improvement to interactions between departments. I also believe that we must develop a new Comprehensive Plan for the city. The current plan was adopted in 1997 and is not a document that reflects the current nature of the city. In this new Comprehensive Plan we must identify the interactions between departments and establish mechanisms that will promote that interaction. This will lead to greater efficiency in government, reduce costs and provide efficient service to the public.

Who in their right mind is satisfied with the way city hall functions? The way it functions is one of the biggest reasons that I am running. The short answer is, "NO" I am not satisfied with the way city hall functions.

The issues that need to be addressed are as follows: 1. Mandatory centralization of records. If we can link up all the departments into one centralized server, then when one person or company's name comes up in one department, it will put a flag up in all departments. 2. Streamlining the departments. Instead of having multiple departments doing similar but different jobs, let's combine those departments, and cut back on excessive management. 3. True Cabinet meetings, open to the public. At least 1 time a month, the mayor should be meeting with all of the heads of the departments at once. These meetings should be public record, and open for public comment so that the administration knows and learns what and where it's deficiencies are.

These are just ideas off the top of my head. I am sure that in 4 years, I can come up with a lot more.

I’m not happy with the way city hall functions, but City Council doesn’t run city hall. The departmental directors report to the Mayor. Council committee chairs work with directors, but don’t oversee them, or the departments they run. I would support streamlining city hall and professionalizing human resources in city hall, should the next mayor choose to do so.

City Council Meeting Audio 08/08/07

I was absent for the July 25th meeting. All I have to offer is the agenda for that session.

The August 8th meeting began with Easton Police swearing in ceremonies for new officers and two new lieutenants.

Mr Gene Pambianchi (Executive Director, Easton Housing Authority) gave an hour long dissertation on Easton's Hope VI program. Very little was cleared up in that hour. We were basically told that the Hope VI project may look entirely different than the plan we were sold on.

Nadine Loane gave her Weed & Seed annual report. As usual (since she's been involved), the program's accomplishments were both many and admirable.

Candidates in attendance: Ken Brown, Sal Panto, Roger Ruggles, El Warner, & Jeff Warren

Audio (2hour 30 minutes 17.2Mb)

Documents:
Agenda 07/25/07
Agenda 08/08/07
Minutes (when available):
Minutes 07/25/07